Char Broil Big Easy Infared Propane Fryer
Hither in Alabama, Thanksgiving means my husband's grandmother's chicken and dressing (similar to this recipe). While it's always a treat, I do miss eating my family's traditional turkey. Because the dressing is so plentiful and filling, no one has room for another huge dish — which means roasting a large turkey for the holiday doesn't exactly brand sense for us. But this yr, when I heard about a way to melt a smaller turkey to juicy perfection — and with an extra-crispy skin — without turning on my oven or buying gallons of oil, I had to effort information technology.
The Gadget
In that location are a couple oil-less turkey fryers on the market, simply by far the most pop is The Big Easy oil-less turkey fryer, a model made by Char-Bake. Traditionally, a turkey deep fryer cooks a turkey in hot oil that's heated by an external burner. This gadget, on the other hand, uses infrared cooking technology (powered by propane) that's said to create an even oestrus with no flare-ups.
The Large Easy is available at numerous retailers, including Williams Sonoma ($159.95), Lowes ($129), and Amazon ($159.99). In addition to the fryer itself, you can pick upwardly useful accompaniments to the gadget such as a cover and a 22-slice accompaniment kit that makes frying foods other than a whole bird all the easier. Amazon offers these items conveniently bundled in diverse combinations; you can purchase the fryer, cover, and accessory kit together for just around $200.
The Method
After assembling the fryer (which took about an hour, start to finish), you must season it. My married man and I did this by rubbing down the shiny metallic inside with vegetable oil using a paper towel, then cranked up the heat until it turned dark inside and stopped smoking. Then, we turned off the heat to prep the turkey.
The possessor'southward manual recommends food be at least forty degrees F before adding information technology to the fryer, then afterward thawing our vii-pound turkey chest in the fridge for two days, we allow information technology sit on the counter for about 30 minutes before frying to help it warm up slightly from fridge temperature (38 degrees F).
To add flavor, we injected the turkey with Tony Chachere's Creole-way butter marinade, rubbed it lightly with vegetable oil, and coated it generously in Cajun seasoning. The instructions specify avoiding any seasonings or rubs containing a lot of saccharide, equally it volition burn in the fryer.
Next, it was time to add together the turkey to the fryer. We poured a niggling more than marinade into the included flavor infuser stand, and so set information technology inside the wire basket and lowered information technology downwards into the fryer. From at that place, nosotros added the mesh lid to the top and set a timer, then waited to grab a whiff of the delicious smells.
When the turkey was done, reaching a prophylactic temperature (and looking especially delicious with bubbly, seasoned skin), we advisedly removed it from the fryer while still inside the basket and let it cool for a few minutes. Then, we used two large forks to transfer the turkey to a platter and covered it with foil to rest for about twenty minutes, as directed in the gadget'south instructions.
The Issue
Having read multiple reviews like "Hands down, the all-time turkey I've ever had!" I had loftier expectations when it was time to eat. Unfortunately, this turkey didn't quite live up to the hype for me. Information technology was moist, but not as juicy as I would have preferred or predictable, and information technology was tough to cut clean slices. While information technology made for a prissy meal and leftovers for turkey sandwiches, information technology didn't leave me ready to contain the oil-less turkey fryer into my regular cooking routine. Peradventure it's because my husband is a pro at smoking on his pellet grill, which turns out delicious smoky, moist poultry every time — so I'chiliad a piddling spoiled. That said, this was our beginning become with the apparatus, and I could see this fryer being a really nice tool for someone who doesn't ain a pellet grill or a smoker, or who has express backyard infinite simply still wants a fashion to cook a whole bird outdoors. All to say, I definitely plan to give it another try, as other reviewers say the results have gotten ameliorate as their device became more seasoned, but I wasn't blown abroad on our Big Easy fryer's maiden voyage.
The Pros
In one case we got the infrared turkey fryer assembled and correctly hooked up to the propane tank, it was low-try, smooth sailing. After seasoning the turkey, nosotros simply placed it over the flavor infuser and lowered the cage with the bird down into the fryer, then ignited the automobile with a turn of a knob and let it rip — no additional attention required except to bank check the temperature of the bird.
Throughout the cooking process, the fryer was quiet and independent, without whatsoever visible flames or smoke. This fryer would be safe and piece of cake to use even in a small-scale outdoor area. Not to mention, it'south an incredible way to make your turkey outdoors and gratis upward precious oven space in your kitchen. Given that not everyone is a grill-master or has experience at/equipment for smoking meats, and traditional oil-filled turkey fryers can (understandably) be quite intimidating, I'd say this oil-less fryer could be just the right option for many home cooks who are preparing their family'south Thanksgiving bird.
Frying a turkey this way was quick and efficient. Roasting turkey in the oven takes almost 13 minutes per pound at 350 degrees F, while the instructions for the fryer estimated about ten minutes per pound. For our seven-pound turkey breast, we get-go fix a timer for 1 60 minutes, and ended upwards cooking it almost 75 minutes to bring it upward to 165 degrees F.
I've never deep-fried a turkey the traditional way, but this method felt infinitely safer than using a vat of oil. There was picayune mess to clean up afterward, too — just wiping out the inside of the fryer. If you've never cooked a whole turkey earlier, this has to be ane of the simplest methods out at that place, and proficient for beginners (as long as you have assist assembling information technology).
The compact tray beneath the heating element collects all the drippings, which you lot can easily (and carefully) remove, pour into a saucepan, and whip up your favorite turkey gravy.
The price point is slightly college than a turkey fryer that requires oil, just its versatility ways you tin bust it out for more than Thanksgiving — lending more than value. The Char-Bake website has recipes for other meats to cook in The Big Like shooting fish in a barrel, including ham, chicken wings, beer tin can chicken, roast beef, and prime rib.
The Cons
Though at beginning it seemed like a relatively simple device, the infrared turkey fryer was frustrating to gather. The instructions included in the manual are modest drawings with no accompanying text, and then they were tricky to follow. We concluded upwardly screwing on the legs in the wrong spots, only realizing so after the device felt wobbly one time standing it upright. It takes two people to build this correctly, and you'll need to be extremely precise when attaching the propane tank.
All pieces on the fryer become hot — really hot. I learned this the difficult way when, without thinking, I reached to pull off the hat and nearly burned the fingerprints off my right mitt. Be sure to accept heat-safe gloves handy (none are included, but should be?) for handling the fryer and attachments.
If you're cooking for a large family, this fryer probable isn't for you — it can only concord a turkey upward to xvi pounds, and I remember that would exist pushing it.
Cooking a stuffed turkey in the infrared fryer is non recommended, as it takes too long to heat the middle to the recommended safety temperature of 165 degrees. (However, the USDA doesn't recommend stuffing a turkey for food safety reasons, anyhow.)
The infrared "fried" turkey volition never be as moist and juicy as a truthful deep-fried turkey, or attain the actress-crispy skin, say reviewers. Overall, the gustation was fine and this method fabricated for a pretty turkey, only it was lacking in wet for me. Plus, I prefer a smoky flavor, and yous but can't get that with this device.
Related:
- How to Deep Fry a Turkey
- 15 No-Broil Thanksgiving Desserts
- 19 Fool-Proof Thanksgiving Recipes for Beginner Cooks
Source: https://www.allrecipes.com/article/char-broil-big-easy-oil-less-infrared-turkey-fryer-review/